Electric signaling



M. S. MORSE. ELECTRIC SIGNAUNG.

\PPLICAH'JN HLED FEB. 4 10m.

Patented June 22, 19202 4 SHEETSSHEET 1- M. S. MORSE. ELECTRIC SIGNALING. APPLICATKON HLED FEB. 4, 2918.

0 92 n 9mm 4 H m S &4 t n e t a D1 M. S. MORSE. ELECTRIC SlGNALlNG. APPLICAHON HLED FEB. 4. 191a.

Patented June 22, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

M. S. MORSE.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4. 191B.

Patented June 22, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

MARK S. MORSE, OF HUNTINGTON PARK, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO RAILWAY SPECIALTIES COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING.

1,344,308, Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d J 22 1920 Application filed February 4. 1918. Serial No. 215,252. To all whom it may concern: Fig. 6 is a plan view of the hold clear Be it known that I, MARK S. Monsn, a c timechanism.

zen of the United States, residing at Huntington Park, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Electric Signaling, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to signal devices used in connection with railways and an obje'ct of the invention is to make provision for operating a signal to cause diiierent aspects thereof and to do this with a minimum consum tion of electrical current.

Mgr invention pertains more particularly to signals of the type known as hold clear and another object of my invention is to provide a signal which is electromagnetically moved to indicate danger and which is electromagnetically My invention further relates towhat are commonly termed wig wag signals in which the signal member comprises a disk which is swung on a pendulum to indicate danger and which is held in an inclined position against the action of gravity to indicate clear.

A further object of my invention is to provide a signal of this character which will drop into and out of order position whenever its source of power fails or the hold clear mechanism gets out of order.

Another object is to provide a signal of this description which will be of minimum liability of getting out of order.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following detail description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wig wag embodying the invention, the signal member being in clear position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the wig wag shown in Fig. 1, the signal member being pendent in out-of-order position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the case or housing, the bellbeing omitted so as to disclose the striking mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on line indicated by m-w, Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the housing and its contents, one side being omitted so as to expose to view the internal mechanism and portions being shown in section.

held in clear position.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged rear elevation of the parts at the left end of Fig. 6, the magnet coils being partly shown in section.

Fig. 8 is an elevation mainly in section on line indicated by ar -tu Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged inner face view of the hold clear armature and its parts.

Fig. 10 is an inverted plan view of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional detail of the construction for holding the signal arm when the latch is in latching position.

Fig. 12 is an elevation of the housing supportand shields from the right of Fig. 1.

F ig. 13 is a diagram showing electrical connections for the wig wag used with .1 single track system.

here is provided a. signal member 1 which may be in the form of a disk as shown and which is suspended at the lower end of an arm 2 that is fastened to a yoke 3. The yoke 3 is provided at its opposite ends with stub shafts l journaled in bearings 5 which project inward from standards 6 fastened on the inside of the ends of a housing 7 or formed integral with said ends. Thus the signal member 1 can freely oscillate.

The housing 7 is mounted on a support 9 of any suitable character and suspended from said support by rods 9, 10 are spaced shields 11 which are on either side of the plane of oscillation of the signal member so that when the signal member is moved sufli ciently to the right. as in Fig. l. the signal member will be between the shields. The shields 11 are provided with slots 12 which register with a lamp 13 in the center of the signal member 1 as the signal member moves between the shields, thus when the lamp is illuminated its light shows in every position of the signal member 1.

The yoke 3 is provided with an armature 14 and this armature is moved to and fro by energization of pole pieces 15. 15 provided with electromagnet coils 16. 16 respectively. The pole pieces 15. 15' are fastened by bolts or screws 1? to adjustable supports in the form of bars 18. The bars 18 are fastened by screws 19 to the standards (i and adjustment oi said bars is etlectcd by screws :20 projecting through the bars and against the standards (3. liy loosening the screws 19 the screws 20 may be so adjusted that the position of the bars 18 maty be altered so as to change the angle thereo and the size of the air gap between the armature l-l and pole pieces 15, 15'. \Vhen the adjustment has been made the screw 19 will be tightened to hold the bars 18 in adjusted position. it is now clear that alternative cnergization of the pole pieces 15, 15' will cause the armature ll to swing first to one side and then to the other so as to oscillate the signal member 1.

In order to make and break the circuit energizing the coils l6, 16 the yoke 3 is provided with insulation 20' carrying a bind ing post :21 which in turn connects with an arm 2:! carrying a spring contact member '33 adapted to alternatively engage stationary contacts 24, 25 as the yoke is oscillated. The construction and operation of the contacts 23, 24 and 25 is described in detail in my patent for wig wag signals, No. 1.228.561, dated June 5, 1917.

The oscillatory arm 2 passes through a slot 26 in the bottom of the housing and is provided with a segmental flange 27 adapted to cover the slot to prevent the entrance of foreign objects into the interior of the housin through said slot.

iIBChEIIllSIR is provided to releasably hold the signal member 1 in the clear position between the shields 11, as in Fig. 1, and for this purpose the arm 2 is provided with a slot 28 in which is shiftably mounted a detent 29 in the form of a pin, there being a spring 30 engaging the pin and fastened to the arm 2 to hold the inner end of the detent in position to engage a latch 31 when said latch is in the position shown in Fig. 6. This latch 31 is in the form of a lever pivoted at 32 to a suitable base 33 which is mounted on the bottom of the housing 7. Fastened to the latch 31 is a spring 3% which tends to more the latch 31 into the path of travel of the detent 29 during the movement of the arm :2.

From the foregoing it is clear that with the latch in the position shown in Fig. 6, if the arm 2 be moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 1 the detent :29 will strike the latch 31 and be moved against the pressure of the spring 30 so that the detent will pass the latch. After passing the latch the spring 30 will press the detent outward so that on the return stroke of the arm 2 the. detent 29 will engage the latch 31 as in Fig. 6 to hold the arm 2 in the position shown in Fig. 1. Movement of the latch 31 caused by the power of the spring 34 is limited by a stop 35 projecting upward from the. base 33.

Means are provided to hold the latch 31 against the pressure of the detent 2.) tending to trip the latch and said means will now be described. The end of the latch 31 opposite the end engaging the detent 29 is provided with a detent 36 preferably connected with the latch by a spring 37, the spring tending to hold the detent 36 upward. Into the path of travel of the detent 36, as the latch moves, projects a trigger 38 pivoted at 39 to a standard 40 which projects upward from the base lVhen the latch 31 moves from retracted position toward the position shown in Fig. 6 the detent 36 will be depressed by engagement with the trigger and will slide past said trigger and, when the detent 29 engages the latch 31 and tends to move the detent 36 forward with reference to the trigger because of gravity acting on the signal member 1, the detent 36 will engage the trigger as clearly shown in Fig. 8 so as to prevent unlatching movement of the latch 31.

Unlatching movement of the trigger 38 would take place unless prevented when the detent 29 presses against the latch and therefore means are provided to hold the free end of the trigger against upward movement and said means will now be described. The trigger 38 when in engagement with the detent 36 is adapted to rest on a stop 41 and when in this position the free end of the trigger is in the path of travel of a detent 42 which is pivoted at 43 to a bracket 43' attached to the standard 40. forms the lower end of an armature ll which is adapted to be attracted by energization of magnet cores 45. Energization of these cores 45 is effected by a coil or coils each of which in the instance shown constitutes a; double coil, each double coil being formed by a pair of single coils 46, 47, the coil 4'6 being of wire of relatively large cross sectional area and the coil 47 of wire of relatively small cross sectional area for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

Means are provided to hold the latch 31 in its retracted position and for this purpose said latch is provided with a shoulder 48 adapted to be engaged by a detent 49 which is normally held downward in the path of travel of said shoulder by a spring 50, said detent being pivoted at 51 to the armature 4:1. From this it is clear that when the latch 31 is retracted by the detent 29 the shoulder 48 pushes the detent 49 upward out of the way until the shoulder has passed the detent 49. After this the spring 50 moves the detent 4S) downward into engagement with the shoulder -18 to thus prevent the latch 31 from being moved into latch-engaging position when the armature ll is disengaged from the cores 45 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. lVhen the armature 44 is disengaged from the cores 45 it may restagainst a stop 52 in the form of a screw which can be turned in or out so as to regulate the air gap between the armature l4 and cores when the armature is in the disengaged position, said screw The detent 42 is fastened to ortact arm 53 and projecting into the path of travel of' the outer end of said arm is a spring contact 54 which is mounted on an insulation bracket 55 by means of a binding post 56. The spring power of the contact 54, when the cores 45 are deenergized, normally holds the outer endof said contact'in engagement with the outer end of a contact 57 which is fastened to the insulation bracket 55 by a binding post. 58. The insulation bracket" 55 is connected by bolts 59 to a support 60 which in turn is fastened by screws 61 tothe uppermost core 45, as clearl shown in Fig. 8. he support 60 is provi ed with a slot 62 to accommodate the contact arm 53 as said arm moves toward and from the contact 54. The utilityyof the contacts '53, 54 and 57 will appear hereinafter;

The cores 45 are each supported at one end by a standard 40 and are each supported at their opposite end by a standard 63 mounted on the base 33.

One of the stub shafts 4, see Fig. 3, projects outside of the housing 7 and the projecting: end is provided with slots 64 in which is shiftably mounted a pin 65 adapted to be oscillated about the axis of the shaft when the shaft is osciliated. Shifting of the pin 65 in the slots64 is limited by washers 66, and the outer ends of the pin 65 are adapted to alternatively engage bell crank levers 67" which are pivoted at 68 to the housing 7. The levers 67 are provided with hammers 69' adapted to strike a gong 70 which is bolted to a bracket 71 fastened to the housing. Preferably the hammers 69 are somewhat flexible. The bell crank levers 67 are'normally held against stops 71 with their: inner ends in the path of travel of the outer ends of the pin 65 by springs 72. \Vhen the pin 65 is oscillated about the axis of the shaft one end of said pin on its upward movement will engage one of the levers 67 and move said lever against the retracting force of'its spring 72 to move the hammer 692 awa from the gong 70 and after the pin 65 as been moved sufficiently far the lever 67 slips oil of the pin and the spring 72 retracts the lever so as to cause the hammer 69 to strike the gon 70. When said end of the pin 65 moves ownward it will be moved endwise out of the wa of the lever 67 so as to readily pass from above to below said lever to be ready to again op erate the lever 67 as above explained. During, the downward movement of said end of the pin 65 the other end of said pin will move upward and will cause operation of the other lever 67 in the manner just explained. Thus the gong will be sounded on each stroke of the signal member 1.

Mounted on the yoke 3 is insulation 5 carrying a binding post a. The contact 24 is provided with a binding post d and the contact 25 with a binding post 6, said binding posts cl and 6 being carried by an insulation support it mounted on the base 33.

When the wig wag is to be used in connection. with a single track railway, the electrical connections may be made as follows: Referring more particularly to Fig. 13, one section of track is indicated at 72 and another at 73 and each of the track sections is connected to a relay 74. This relay may be of any suitable construction and the interlocking feature of the one indicated is analogous to that disclosed in patent issued to 30 me for relay, No. 1092283, dated April 7, 1914. In this instance the rails of the track section 72 are respectively connected by wires 75, 76 to the relay electromagnet 77 and the rails of the track section 7 3 are connected by wires 78, 79 to the relay electromagnet 80. The electromagnets 77 80 respectively operate armatures 81, 82 which in turn make and break the circuit between a pair of contacts 83, 84 and a pair of contacts 85 and 86. The contacts 83, 85 are connected together by wire 87 and the contacts 84, 86 are connected together by a wire 88. It will be sufficient to state in this connection that when the armature 81 drops it moves a. stop 89 beneath the armature 82 .and that when the armature 82 drops it rests said stop beneath the armature 81, thus to prevent the armature 82 in the one instance or the armature 81 in the other from closin the electric circuit when the coil associated with the other armature is denergized.

A battery 90 is connected across the rails of the track section 72 and a battery 91 is connected across the rails of the track section 7 3 in a manner well understood in the art pertaining to railway signaling devices. The wire 87 is connected by a wire 92 to a battery 93 which is connected by a wire 94 to a terminal 95 mounted on the support it. The terminal 95 is connected by a wire 96 to one of the coils 46 and its companion coil 47 and the coil 46 is connected to the other coil 46 by a wire 97. A wire 99 connects the two coils 47 together. One of the coils 46 is connected by a wire 100 to the terminal 56 and one of the coils 47 is connected by a wire 101 to the terminal 58. \Vhen the contacts 54, 57 are closed the coils 46 are in multiple with the coils 47 and when said contacts are openonly the coils 47 are energized. The wire -101 is connected by a wire 102 to a terminal 103 which is mounted on the support It and which in turn isconnected by a wire 104 to the armature 105 of a second relay. Said second relay has its magnet coil 106 connected by a wire 107 to the relay contact 86 and is connected ,by a wire 108 to the wire 94.

The terminal 95 is connected by a wire 13o 169 to the binding post 21 which in turn is connected by a wire 110 to one tenninal of the lamp 13, the other terminal of the lam 3 being connected by a. wire 111 to the bin ing post, c. The binding post 0 is connected by a wire 112 to a binding post 113 which is mounted on the support It and which in turn is connected by a wire 114 to the Wire 1117. The wire 114 is connected by a wile 115 to one of each pair of coils 16, 16'. the coils of each pair being connected to one another by wires 116. One of the other coils 16 of one pair is connected by a wire 117 to the binding post (I and the other coil 16 of the other pair is connected by a wire 118 to the binding post 6.

1V hen the relay armature 105 is released it engages a contact 119 which is connected by a wire 12() with the wire 92.

'ith the electrical connections above described and shown in Fig. 13, the operation oi the wig wag is as follows: Assuming that the latch 31 is in the position shown in Fig. 4] and that the signal member 1 is in the clear position shown in Fig. 1 and that a train is approaching the track section 72 from the right, current from the battery 93 flows through the coils 47 to hold the armature 44 in its trigger-engaging position as in Fig. 1 'hen said train passes onto said section T2 the electric current from the battery 91) is shunted across the rails, thus permitting the relay armature 81 to fall and this in turn closes the contacts 83, 84, so as to energize the magnet 106 to raise the armature 1H5. Raising of the armature 105 breaks the circuit through the coils 47, thus dci ncrgixing the cores 45 so that the pressure oi the contact 54 and gravity will move the armature 44 away from the cores 45 and said contact 54 will spring into engagement with the contact 57. This connect the coils 46. 47 in parallci with one another.

Movement of the armature 44 from the cores 45 causes release of the trigger 38 and this in turn causes release of the detent 36 so as'to allow the latch 31 to be operated by pressure of the pin 29 thereon against the retractive force of the spring 34. The lever thus moves from the position shown in Fig. 6 to a position wherein the shoulder 48 will be engaged by the detent 49. Thus the detent 49 will hold the latch 31 retract ed against the power of the spring 34 when the pin 29 passes off of the end of the latch 31. lVhen the pin 29 is released. gravity moves the signal member 1 and arm 2 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2 and this movement causes the contact 23 to engage the contact 25. thus energizing the coils 16. This encrgization of the coils 16 attracts the armature 14 so as swing the signal member 1 away from the shields 11. and in the some direction which gravity caused it to operate when released 84 and from the clear position. The contact 23 passes oil of the contact 25 so as to break the circuit energizing the coils 16 and gravity will then swing the signal member 1 to ward the mid position shown in Fig. 2 so as to cause the contact to engage the contact 24, thus energizing the magnets 16 so as to attract the armature to continue the swinging of the si nal member toward the position shown in ig. 1. The operation of the contacts 23, 24 and 25 has been set forth in detail in the hereinbefore noted Patent No. 1,228,581 and it is suflicient to state in this connection that so long as the train remains on the track section 72 the signal member 1 will oscillate, owing to the alternative energization of the coils 16, 16'.

As soon as the rear wheels of the train have passed off of the rails of the section 72 the current from the battery 90 will energize the relay coil 77, thus causing the circuit to be broken between the contacts 83, this in turn causes denergization of the coil 106 so that the armature 105 will drop and engage the contact 119. lvhen this occurs, owing to the fact that the armature contact 54 at this time engages the contact 57, current from the battery 93 will pass through the coils 46, 47 which are connected in parallel at this time because the contacts 54, 57 are closed. Because the electric current flows directly from the battery 93 to the coils 46 of relatively large wire there is produced relatively high energizetion of the cores 45 so as to quickly attract the armature 44 into engagement with said cores. When the'armature 44 has moved to within a comparatively slight distance of the cores ,45, the arm 53 engages the contact 54 and moves said contact away from the contact 57 so as to break the parallel connection between the coils 46, 47, thus deiinergizing coils 46. The consumption of the electric current, owing to the relatively fine wire of the coils 41', will now be comparatively slight and this slight current produces sufficient energization of the cores 45 to hold the armature 44 against the force of gravity and pressure of the contact 54 tending to release the armature, since the armature is in contact with said cores. This movement of the armature 44 toward the cores 45 raises the detent 49 out of engagement with the shoulder 48 of the latch 31 and thereupon the spring 34 retracts said latch to the position shown in Fig. 6, whereupon the detent 36 will engage the trigger 38 as hereinbefore described. \Vhile the arm 2 is still swinging it is clear that the detent 29 will come into position to be engaged and be held by the latch 31 so as to hold the arm and signal member 1 in the position shown in Fig. 1. This is the clear position and indicates that vehicles may safely pass across the tracks at the crossing.

If the train approaches the crossing from the left, as soon as said train comes upon the track section 73 current from the battery 91 will be shunted across the rails and the relay coil 80 will be decliergized so as to allow the armature 82 to function to close the contacts 85, 86. This closes the circuit through the magnet 106 the same as previously described when the contacts 83, 84 are closed, and the other operations of the operative parts of the wig wag are the same as described above for approach of the train from the right.

If any of the wires leading from the bat tery 93 to the coils 46 47 should break or if the relay armature 105 should fail to close against the contact 119, the armature 44 will assume the trigger-release position so that the latch will fail to hold the signal member in the clear position and said signal member will assume the mid position shown in Fig. 2. This mid position indicates that the wig wag is out of order and hence that the tracks should not be crossed without first stopping to ascertain whether or not a train is nearing the crossing.

I claim:

1. In a signal a shaft; a pendulum carried on said shaft tending to assume a vertical position: an armature carried by said shaft; electromagnetic coils so placed as to swing armature from its vertical position; a.

latch for catching said pendulum in an in clined position; a spring for holding said latch in position to engage said. pendulum: primary locking means for holding said latch in its engaged position; secondary locking means for holding said latch in dis engaged position against the action oi said spring: and electiomagnctic means for re leasing said primary locking means and ren dering said secondary locking means ottertive whenever said electromagnetic means is energized. V

2. In a hold clear signal a latch'for holding said signal in its clear position; primary locking means for holding said latch in such a position as to hold said signal in its clear position; secondary locking means for holding said latch in such a. position as to allow said signal to move vfrom its clear position and electromagnetic means for actuating said primary and secondary locking means.

3. In a hold clear signal a latch for holding said signal in its clear position; primary locking means for holding said latch in such a position as to hold said signal in its clear position; secondary locking means for holding said latch in such a position to allow said signal to move from its clear position; an electromagnet and means by which said magnet holds said primary means in action only when said magnet is energized.

4. In a hold clear signal a latch for holding said signal in its clear position; primary locking means for holding said latch in such a position as to hold said signal in its clear position; seeoi'ulary locking means for holding said latch in such a position as to allow said signal to more from its clear position; means actuated by the energization of said magnet for rendering said primary locking means ope 'ative and means actuated upon the deiinergizing of said magnet for rendering said secondary locking means operative 5. In a hold clear signal a signal member; electromagnetic operating means adapted to oscillate said member; a latch holding said signal member in its clear position; electromagnetic holding means; primary holding means; primary locking means actuated by said holding means for catching and holding said latch in position to catch and hold said signal member in its clear position; secondary locking means for rendering said latch inoperative: means by which the energizing of said holding means renders said primary locking means effective and said secondary locking means ineffective.

(5. In a hold clear signal a signal member; electromagnetic operating means adapted to oscillate said member; a latch holding said signal member in its clear position; electromagnetic holding mcans; primary locking means actuated by said holding means for catching and holding said latch in position to catch and hold said signal. member in its clear position; secondary locking means for rendering said latch imiperatiyc; means by which the energizing of said holding means renders said primary locking means effective -and said secondary locking means ineffective and means for simultaneously definergizmg said holding means and making possible the energizing oi said operating means.

7. In a hold clear signal a signal mein oer; electromagnetic operating means ad apted to oscillate said member; a latch holding said signal member in its clear position; electromagnetic holding means; primary locking means actuated by said holding means for catching and holding said latch in position to catch and hold said signal member in its clear position; secondary locking means for rendering said latch inoperative; means by which the energizing of'said holding means renders said primary locking means efi'ective and said secondary locking means ineffective and relay closing the circuit to said operating means and opening the circuit to said holding means.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 19th day of January, 1918.

MARK S. MORSE.

' Witnesses:

GEORGE H. Hines, L. BELLE WEAVER. 

